Commander of Combat Logistics Battalion 8 relieved

The third commanding officer in two months has been relieved of their command “due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead,” according to Camp Lejeune officials.

Lt. Col. Shawn Grzybowski lost command of Combat Logistics Battalion 8 and is pending reassignment, according to a press release. His command began September 2015 and ended Thursday after he was relieved by Brig. Gen. David Maxwell, who is the commander of 2nd Marine Logistics Group.

Grzybowski is just one of three officers who’ve lost their command in the past two months.

Col. Daniel O’Hora lost command of the Marine Corps Engineering School aboard Camp Lejeune June 6 for “loss of trust and confidence in his ability to serve in command,” according to previous reports by The Daily News.

Lt. Col. Jennifer Grieves, 46, was the former commander of the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 who was relieved June 7 for “due to a loss of trust and confidence in her ability to continue to lead.” Grieves was reassigned for “not properly reporting an incident” which was being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

“Being relieved of command does not equate to a drop in rank or pay. Once relieved, an officer is typically moved to a non-command billet determined by higher headquarters. Duties would vary depending on what billet they fill,” Lt. Col. Mike Armistead, II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs director, wrote in an email to The Daily News in June.

The protocol for reassignment is dictated by NAVADMIN 373/11, a copy of which was provided to The Daily News by Armistead. The edict states that “any person arrested or criminally charged by civil authorities shall immediately advise their immediate commander of the fact that they were arrested or charged. Persons are only required to disclose the date of arrest or criminal charges. Disclosure of arrest or criminal charges is not an admission of guilt. Commanders may impose disciplinary action for failure to self-report an arrest or criminal charges. When a service member does self-report pursuant to a valid self-reporting requirement, commanders will not impose disciplinary action based solely on evidence derived independently of the self-report. Commanders should consult a judge advocate prior to imposing disciplinary action.”

Reporter Naomi Whidden can be reached at Naomi.Whidden@JDNews.com or 910-219-8453.